That’s due to the UK-based manufacturer’s shakeup of its US range with the newly introduced all-wheel drive and manual gearbox option.
So, if you want the full 550 hp R model, you will not be able to order it with rear wheel drive. In fact, now that the 495 hp V8 S has been killed off too, you can’t really get a V8 F-Type without AWD.

Even so, it’s no biggie if you were after purity, because you can now get it with a manual gearbox and rear-wheel drive, though you have to make do with the supercharged V6 (in either state of tune). In making the R exclusively AWD, Jaguar has limited its appeal, while at the same time making it a kind of Nissan GT-R/Porsche 911 Turbo rival.

The R will still be offered without AWD elsewhere outside the US, though manuals will continue to be V6-only options no matter where you order it.